Sokenji Temple

This temple is of the Rinzai sect of Buddhism, Myoshinji school, located in Shimo Toyoura, Azuchi-cho, Omihachiman City, Shiga Prefecture. It is called Enkeizan (or Azuchi-san). The principal image is the Eleven-Headed Kannon Bodhisattva. It was founded in the Tensho era (1573-1592) south of Azuchi Castle by Oda Nobunaga as the founder and his third son (or cousin) Shochu Goge as the founder. It flourished as the family temple of the Oda clan afterwards, but the main hall and other buildings were burned down in 1854 (Ansei 1), and a temporary main hall was built on the site of Tokugawa Ieyasu's residence near the Otemon Gate. The principal image, a wooden statue of the Eleven-Headed Kannon Bodhisattva, is said to have been made by Anami (Kaikei). The statues of father and son Nobunaga and Nobutada are enshrined in the temporary main hall. The three-story pagoda, which survived the fire, was built in 1454, and the Niomon gate (romon) bears an inscription dating back to 1571. It is said that Nobunaga moved these from Ishibe, Koga County (present-day Konan City) and they are both designated as Important Cultural Properties of Japan, along with the temple treasures, the statues of two Kongo wrestlers and the iron sword tsuba used by Nobunaga.

[Akira Suganuma]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

滋賀県近江八幡(おうみはちまん)市安土町下豊浦(あづちちょうしもといら)にある臨済(りんざい)宗妙心寺派の寺。遠景山(えんけいざん)（または安土山）と号する。本尊は十一面観世音菩薩(かんぜおんぼさつ)。天正(てんしょう)年間（1573～92）織田信長を開基、その三男（あるいは従弟）の正仲剛下(しょうちゅうごうげ)を開山として、安土城の南に創建された。以後、織田家の菩提(ぼだい)寺として栄えたが、1854年（安政1）に本堂などを焼失、その後、大手門近くの徳川家康邸跡に仮本堂が建てられた。本尊の木造十一面観世音像は安阿弥(あんあみ)（快慶）の作と伝えられる。仮本堂には信長・信忠(のぶただ)父子の像を安置する。焼失を免れた三重塔は享徳(きょうとく)3年（1454）建立、仁王門（楼門）は元亀(げんき)2年（1571）建立の銘があり、信長が甲賀郡石部（現湖南市）から移築したものと伝え、寺宝の金剛二力士立像、信長使用の鉄鐔(つば)とともに国の重要文化財に指定されている。

［菅沼　晃］

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